1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the manufacture of inflatable packaging and more specifically to a self-sealing inflatable dunnage bag, which does not require sealing after inflation or a complex inflation apparatus.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
It is well known in the art of inflatable packaging to fill dunnage bags with air and then heat seal the packing bags to retain the air therein. However, the inflatable dunnage bag is typically complicated or the apparatus used to produce the inflatable dunnage bags with air is also complicated. A complicated inflatable dunnage bag will require complicated machinery to fill thereof. A complicated inflatable packaging machine will not always produce a consistent product, due to the complexity of the machine and also variations in the sheet material used to produce the inflatable packaging.
Typically, a manufacturer of inflatable packaging provides a customer with inflatable packaging machines at no cost and sells the inflatable packaging to the customer. Any problems with the inflatable packaging machines is the manufacturer's responsibility and expense. It is to the manufacturer's advantage to have the simplest and most inexpensive inflatable packaging machines to produce the inflatable packaging. Further, having inexpensive inflatable packaging machinery makes it possible to sell the inflatable packaging to smaller companies.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,168,567 to Peper et al. discloses an inflatable packaging system. U.S. Pat. No. 7,361,397 to Perkins et al. discloses a film material for air-filled packing cushions.
Accordingly, there is a clearly felt need in the art for a self-sealing inflatable dunnage bag, which does not require sealing after inflation or a complex inflation apparatus.